The present invention is in the field of portable lighting devices for illuminating objects.
Reading lights such as book lights have been proposed in the past for illuminating the pages of a book in inadequate lighting conditions. A problem with these lights is that they tend to be relatively heavy and bulky, making their use impractical and clumsy, especially when used with pliable publications and/or small publications such as magazines and soft cover books. If used on a magazine, the bulkiness and weight of these reading lights bends the pages of the magazine, making their use impractical and clumsy. Another problem with these reading lights is that they use incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. Such light bulbs consume a relatively large amount of electricity, are inefficient, generate heat, and give only partial lighting across the entire visible spectrum. As a result, these reading lights require relatively large, more powerful batteries, consume batteries quickly, may bum the reader if the incandescent bulb comes in contact with the reader, require relatively large light housings to accommodate the heat of the incandescent bulb and large batteries, and provide unsatisfactory lighting of the reading materials. Also, the heaviness of prior book lights and the heat of the bulb create an inherently dangerous potential for fire if the light bends the flammable magazine or book page over and the hot bulb contacts the page.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a simple, light-weight, energy-efficient, economical device that can adequately illuminate pliable reading materials and/or small reading materials such as magazines and soft cover books without the drawbacks associated with prior reading lights.
There is also a long felt need for a simple, light-weight, energy-efficient, economical device and related method that can be used with other objects such as, but not by limitation, laptop computers, Personal Digital Assistants, digital cameras, and for general lighting of objects.
An aspect of the invention involves a method of illuminating one or more objects associated with a laptop computer comprising the steps of attaching a light to a support surface of the laptop computer and illuminating one or more objects associated with the laptop computer with at least one LED of the light.
An additional aspect of the invention involves a method of illuminating one or more objects associated with a PDA comprising the steps of attaching a light to a support surface of the PDA and illuminating one or more objects associated with the PDA with at least one LED of the light.
A further aspect of the invention involves a light for lighting one or more objects. The light includes a bendable body including opposite terminating portions, respective light sources carried at the terminating portions, at least one power source to power the light sources, wherein the bendable body is adapted to be wrapped at least partially around at least one of a user""s neck and head to secure the light and adjusted so that the light sources are oriented in a desired configuration for optimal lighting of the one or more objects.
A still further aspect of the invention involves a method of illuminating one or more objects comprising the steps of providing a light including a bendable body with opposite terminating portions, respective light sources carried at the terminating portions; wrapping the bendable body at least partially around a user""s neck; adjusting the bendable body so that the light sources are oriented in a desired configuration; and illuminating one or more objects with the illumination sources.
A yet further aspect of the invention includes a method of illuminating an object of a camera. The method includes providing an attachable light including at least one LED powered by at least one power source; attaching the light to a support surface; and illuminating an object of a camera with the light.
Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a review of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments set forth below.